Many of us sense that there is something very wrong with the policy ideas the GOP has been pursuing. To understand this, we need to look at the explicit philosophy that has been motivating activists on the American right since the 1980s. In this brief essay, I seek to explain the source and origin of the deep philosophic confusion in the GOP today.
There are two strands to the ideology held by many...

I’ve been thinking a lot about how important the repression or at least marginalization of religious passion was to political thinkers in the 16 and 1700s. This was because of the “100 years” of religious and civil wars in Europe in the 1500s. While Europeans are generally educated about their own history and know that this is the reason they tend to be aloof from organized religion,...

A Retrospective Interpretation of the American System: Part I
Assumption One: The purpose of a just political system in the Western world is not to realize deep oral values. It is to maximize economic utility and political stability with Kantian ethical restraints.
Corollary One: The paradox. Activists are usually motivated by a desire to realize a deep moral value. All political movements that seek...

Click here for statement by Galbraith on conservatives
My thoughts on Galbraith’s statement:
This may sound like a more intense statement than it is. The insight is considered a commonplace by most who study the history of ideas, social philosophy and national ideologies. Remember my claim: American conservatives are not really conservatives in any true sense of the word. They cannot be. It is up...

Rousseau’s thought is one of the primary influences on the Constitution, especially that found in the Social Contract. His thinking was influenced by work he did in Venice in the embassy. He reports that he had a superior who treated him unjustly for years. When he returned to Paris and attempted to have him reprimanded, he got nowhere. This led him to write the following remark in The Confessions: ...

Terence Hoyt earned an MA in Economics from Fordham University in 1984, and a PhD in Philosophy fromTulane University in 2000. Between 1993 and 2012, I lived in New Orleans. Earlier on, I lived in Paris and Berlin for one year each. In 2012, after teaching philosophy for 15 years I returned to school to earn an MSW and then returned to upstate New York where I grew up.
My hope is for this site to increase understanding of the American political-economic system. I believe that the brighest among us do not adequately understand or appreciate American civilization. Too many among us take "the system" for granted, focus on a particular "cause" and then ignore what would keep our political-economy running well. I take the position that this problem needs to be viewed as a crisis of philosophy. It was good political philosophy that was responsible for our system and it is dysfunctional political philosophy that influences many activists to take stances undermine our economic as well as moral-spiritual well being. As of January 2017, we are in a crisis involving an unholy alliance between philosophical extremism and the usual suspects: the few who would manipulate the many to gain more wealth, power and privilege. With Plato, I believe that unless sober philosopher-types get involved in the daily affairs of public life, there will be no end to troubles. It is time for public intellectuals as well as academics in the humanities and social sciences to go back to the cave!

Seeking financial assistance for book editor

I am currently in the process of completing a book on the American political project I have been working on for six years. This book will be the culmination of years of studying, researching and thinking about what has made the America system so successful in enabling citizens to live peaceful and prosperous lives. The key to understanding this success is simple: harnessing the natural motives of four types of human beings. My goal is to educate public intellectuals, educators, and activists. I am asking for help paying for an editor for this book. I estimate the cost to be around $5,000. You can donate with the Pay Pal button below. If you would like to talk with me personally, please email me at "terencehoyt@gmail.com". I have posted the first sections of the book on the "Book Project" tab.